Rotary printing machine



Feb. 7, 1933. I J R pElRCE 1,896,555

ROTARY PRINTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 14. 1931 4 ShG8tS-sh68t 1 INVENTOR BY ATTORNEY F eb. 7, 1933.

J. R. PEIRCE 7 ROTARY PRINTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 14. 1931 INVENTOR RCE Feb. 7, 1933.

I lNVENT R BY ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT." OFFICE 3 JOHN BOYDEN PEIBCE, OF YORK, N, Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE TAIBULATINGMACHINE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, Y., A. CORPORATION 01' NEW JERSEY ROTARY PRINTING MACHINE The invention concerns automatic printmg machines and more particularly accountriers on each. of which are disposed several type. As the drumrotates these type carriers reach a predetermined printing position successively and suitable call mechanism may be actuated to rotate any type carrier about its pivot when it, reaches printing position and cause one of the ty e thereon to strike a paper carrying platen. ach type carrier when in printing position may print one of several difi'erent characters and the platen carriage is shifted to different positions to select the particular type which is to print. The type upon the carrier are mounted adjacent to one another at varying distances from the pivot platen has point of the carrier and consequently, the

weight of printing impression will vary as the distance of the selected type from the center of rotation of its carrier.- Furthermore, are arranged close to one another to keep t e moment arm of the type carrier as small as possible. This close proximity of the type to one another'is conducive to what is known as shadow printing, that is,'when an impression is made from a selected type, it is accompanied by some mark above or below which ismade by the'adjacent edge of the next t pe. To avoid this the printing been made of smaller diameter but this isnot a very desirable solution. 4

' In the present invention, the type carriers are each provided with a single type, and, three rows of carriers are alotted to represent the alphabet and numerals. One row may have numeral type only, the second may have type to print a section ofthe alphabet,

and the third row may print the remainder of the alphabet. To print a character from any one of the three rows in asingle column, the platen is adapted to be stepped transversely to the direction of rotation of n the printing drum so that duringthree revolutions of the drum any character may be selected for rinting.

The alpha et is usually represented on tabulating cards by what is known as a combinational index point system, meaning that the designation of a character on the different card columns may be represented by two or more perforations. The cards are analyzecl while in motion from which it follows that the anal zing mechanism will sense the different per orations of a'combination successively. ,A translator is provided which is set up in accordance with the successive analyzingof the different perforations of the combination and after the set-up for a combination is complete it is converted into a single timed operation correspondin to the particular character represented. n connection with a printing device, this timed operation is made effective to select the type carrier'on which the character corresponding to the particular designation is mounted for printing.

The rows of type carriers are divided into groups, each group including three rows of type carriers, the first'row having numeral type, the second part of the alphabet, and the third the remainder of the alphabet. These groups are arranged in the same order across the printing drum and during each revolution thereof, a printing impression may be made from eachrow of carriers. As themachine operates, the platen carriage is I moved successively to assume a positlonfor receiving printing impressions from the carriers in columns ad acent to those 1n which the carriers printed prior to the movement of the platen carriage.

that all the possible characters which maybe re resented on it can be printed. vThis 1s taiien care of as in the patent referred to by feeding a card during one machine cycle in which its index point perforations are analyzed and then suspending the card feed during the two following cycles. In the first c cle numerals will be printed from every t ird row of ty e carriers, certain alphabetical characters rom every adjacent third row and the rest of the alphabetical characters from every remaining third row. Then while the card feed is suspended the platen carriage moves to its intermediate position, and during a second printing cycle each row of type will print in the column adjacent to the one in which it printed during the first cycle, so that each column on the record sheet will have received impressions from two rows of ty e carriers representing two-thirds of the num er of characters to be rinted. Durin a third printing cycle, at t e beginning 0 which card feed is still suspended, the platen carriage is moved to its third position and during a second printing cycle each row of type will print in the column adJacent to the one in which it printed during the second cycle, so that each column on the record sheet will have received impressions from three rows of type carriers representing as a group all of the possible characters.

At the end of three cycles another card feeds to the analyzin device and the operation is repeated, eac successive card thus requiring three printing cycles for printing of the complete data represented on 1t.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an alphabetical printer for an accounting machine of new and lmproved construction and arrangement of parts to the end that the type of impression may be thereby improved.

Another object is to provide an alphabetical printer for an accounting machine in which a plurality of rows of type carriers are adapted to print in each printing column, and in which a platen and the rows of t pe carriers are shifted relatively to each ot er to select the difierent rows for printing in the columns.

Various other objects and advantages of my invention will be obvious from the following particular descri tion of one form of mechanism embodying t e invention or from an inspection of the accompanying drawings;

and the invention also constitutes certain new and novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Fig. l is a detail of the printing and platen shifting mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a further detail of platen shiftin mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a section through the translating mechanism showing a translating device in elevation;

Fig. 4 is a detail of certain distributing commutators; v

Fig. 5 is a local wiring diagram of the printing control devices;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic development of the translating mechanism, illustrating the method of translating a multi-hole combination into-a single timed operation;

Fig. 7 represents a card field with the character code represented thereon.

Referring to Fig. 1,20 is the printing drum provided with the type restoring cam shafts 21 and with any suitable means for rotating the drum. Disposed in the drum are the rows of type carriers 22 which coact with the camming shafts 21 in the manner fully described in Carroll Patents Nos. 1,516,079 and 1,726,539 and accordingly this description will not be repeated here.

Magnets 23 are the printing selecting magnets and it is the energization of these magnets under record card control that calls the type carriers into action. It is suiiicient to state here that the energization of magnets 23 trip latches 24 which in turn are positively actuated by the heels 25 of succeeding type to, in turn, actuate hook 26 and displace such hook into position for calling a type by swingmg action into position. This mechanism is substantially identical with the mechanism of Carroll Patent No. 1,726,539. 27 is the platen carrying the usual sheet of paper 28 and the mechanism for shifting the platen is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The platen 27 is journalled in a frame 29 slidable on rods 30 and 31 and manually held by a spring 32 against a cam 33. Cam 33 is mounted and a shaft 34 which makes one revolution for each three revolutions of the printing drum 20 and is provided with three dwells each covering approximately one-third of its face and each in a difi'erent plane. Normally an arm of frame 29 rests on the highest dwell of the cam permitting the spring 32 to hold the platen in its left-most position. At the end of the first printing cycle cam 33 will move frame 29 until the platen 27 arrives at its intermediate position where it will remain for one machine cycle. At the beginning of the third cycle frame 29 is shifted to bring platen 27 to its right-most position. At the end of this cycle the arm of frame 29 again cooperates with the lowest dwell and platen 27 is again in its first position.

The translating mechanism now to be described is common to the printing tabulator described in the patent referred to, to which reference should be had for a complete explanation of its operation. Its functions will e very briefly described in the present case to aid in an understanding of the present invention. a

The code of the combinational index point system by which the different characters are designated is indicated in Fig. 7. The columns vertically contain six index point positions represented by the letters A, B, C, D. E and F, to the left of the diagram. The alphabet, digits, and other desired characters are and the corresponding code of perforations by which they may be represented is shown in the column directly beneath them.

The present machine as explained in the patent referred to analyzes each column of a card field with a single brush and the analysis is made while the card is in motion. This means that the perforations of any given combination are not analyzed simultaneously but successively, and as the printing requires a timed impulse to properly select the required type, these successive analyses of the perforations in a given combination must be i set up, held temporarily and converted into a single timed operation.

The method by which this is done will be first explained generally in connection with Fi 6 which shows a development of six dis slA, B, C, D, E and F corresponding to the several index point positions of Fig. 7. These disks although actually all of the same size have been represented by concentric circles in Fig. 6 for the purpose of clearly showing their cooperation. The disks are frictionally driven on a common shaft and may be shifted slightly thereon as will hereinafter be explained. The indentations in the circles represent notches in the disks and normally any character will'be printed if notches in the disks are alined along the radial line corresponding to the character. The print-.

ing of any character then requires six notches to be alined along a radial line. Notches on the disks corresponding to the index point positions which are not actuallyin'volved in the combination corresponding to a character are normally alined.

For example,'-along the radial linerepresenting the character A notches in the F. D and C and A disks are on the radial line while notches in the E and B disks corre-' sponding to the index point com ination for the letter A are not on this line. As the card passes under the brush, the brush senses the positions A, B, C in order. When it oncounters a perforation in the B position the disk B is shifted to bring a notch therein along the radial line corresponding to A. This is still not sufficient to select the A type for printing as the E disk still has no alined notch. When the brushreaches the E position and encounters a perforation, the E disk is shifted on the shaft bringing a notch thereon to the radial line A whereupon each. disk has a notch on the radial line corresponding to A. The disks rotate continuously regardless of this relative displacement and at a given point in the cycle a suitable member drops'into the alined notches and selects the printing type correspondingto the character for printing.

It will be noted that the characters are divided into three groups around the periphery .of the disks, the first group consisting of all the digits and the letters A,;T, S and G. The second group consists of a number of special characters and the letters of the althird group consists of the remaining letters of the alphabet. The member which searches the alined notches is placed in a definite location past which each group moves during a separate machine cycle. Thus three machine cycles are required to pass the three groups past the searching member. If the letter A has been sensed as just explained,

abet from U to Z respectively while the causing alinement of notches in the six disks along the radial line A, when this line reaches the searching device the latter drops into the notches for an instant while the disks are in motion and operates suitable mechanism to energize the proper call magnet to print the.

letter A, this operation, ofcourseybeing a single timed operation adapted to the selection of the type on the printing drum.

The translators which are diagrammatically represented by the notched circles in Fig. 6 are illustrated in detail in Fig. 3. Referring to this figure a complete translator for a denominational order is shown driven from a shaft 40. The translator comprises generally two sets of disks represented at 41 and 42 which are driven with a one to three ratio from the shaft 40. The disks 42 correspond to the notched circles A, B, C, etc. in Fig. 6 and arefrictionally mounted on a sleeve 43 freely rotatable on a stud 44. The sleeve 43-is provided with a flange 45 and the disks A, B, C, etc. are separated by friction disks and the whole assembly is mounted on the sleeve and held against the flange by a retaining plate 46. The plate 46, the friction disks and the disks A, B, C, etc. are perforated to fit over tapped studs 47 fixed in the flange. The friction disks are provided with holes closely fitting the studs so that there is no relative movement between them and the sleeve, while the studs pass through slots 48 in the disks A, B, C, etc. so that the latter disks, while they will always rotate with the sleeve are permitted a limited movement relative thereto; The limited movement of the disks on the sleeve 43 is utilized -to aline the notches in the disks as explained in connection with Fig. 6. The disks 41 are similarly mounted on a stud 49 but these disks are rigidly fixed to their supporting sleeve so that corresponding to each of the disks 41 and having a downward extension 55 extending into the path of the extension 50 on the corresponding disk 41 is su ported through a pin and slot connection y a cross member 56, the pin and slot permitting the central portion of this lever to move freely up and down in response to actuations by the extensions 50. One end of each of these levers is provided with an upward extension 57 which extends through a perforation 58 in the supporting structure of the magnet armature 59 while the other end of the lever comprises a latch 60 for an operating pawl 61 and normally holds this pawl in inoperative position. As long as the armature remains in the position shown the left ends of the levers 54 are free to rise and the coaction of the extensions 60 with the levers does not release the latches. \Vhen the armature 59 is attracted by the magnet 51 in response to an index point perforation in a card column the upward extension 57 is directly below a portion of the armature structure which forms a pivot for it. At the time of energization of the magnet then any extension 50 which moves under the downward extension 55 of its corresponding lever 54 rocks the lever upwardly about the extension 57 as a pivot releasingthe pawl 61. The magnet 51' is energized instantaneously for each index point encountered by the analyzing brushes. Consequently during the passage of the entire card any levers 54 corresponding to the index point positions encountered by the brushes will be raised to release their operating pawls 320. A leaf spring 62 fixed to a bracket on the frame of the translator unit normally forces the central portion of levers 54 downwardly.

An operating pawl 61 cooperates with each of the disks 42. Any pawls which are released during the cycle ride on the periphery of the disk until they reach a notch in their disks whereupon each is actuated by an individual leaf spring 63 to engage a deep notch 64. After the necessary pawls 61 have been released and engage their notches 64 in this manner a bell crank 65 is rocked b a projection 66 on a disk also driven by t e gearing and this bell crank rocks the pivoted supporting structure of the pawls 61 against the action of spring 67. This causes each operating pawl 6i which has engaged a notch 64 in its associated disk to shift the disk about the sleeve 43 in a clockwise direction to the end of-its travel as limited by the slots 48. The

disks 42 rotate during this operation and after it, so that after the shifting all the disks continue to rotate in their new relationship. This shifting, of course, alines the proper notches as explained in connection with Fig. 6 so that somewhere around the periphery of the disk there will be a series of alined notches in each of the disks 42,.and of course, for any given card column there will only be one series of alined notches as only one character can be represented in the column.

The disks continue to rotate until the alined notches reach a searching mechanism which consists of a pivoted structure 68 carrying at one end a pivoted member 69 which is springpressed into engagement with the periphery of the disks 42. When a series of alined notches is presented to the member 69 a bevelled edge on the latter engages the notches and the member is rocked about its pivot on the member 68 causing the latter to rotate clockwise whereupon an extension 70 on structure 68 forces a rod 71 to the left. This rod 71 when forced to the left closes a pair of contacts 72 which are included in the proper printing call magnet circuit to select the proper type. It will be understood that the rotation of the disks 42 is properly timed with the rotation of the drum so that an character manifested by alined notches wi 1 not only select the proper type carrier but will select it during the machine cycle in which the platen is in proper position to receive the type representing the charac er.

After the disks 42 have'practically completed a revolution a pawl 7 3 is engaged by an extension 74 on a disk also mounted on the sleeve 43and rocked clockwise to force an extension 75 on the pawl into a bevelled notch 76 on the disks 42 which shifts all disks back to their normal position in which no complete line of notches is present. The translator is then in condition to set up and translate another combinational hole character.

The successively arranged translator units have their sets of notched disks 42 so located that the. six notches corresponding to the same character on each set are offset a third of a revolution with respect to the next set in denominational order. That is, where a particular character is set up in one set of disks to read out in the first cycle the same set up on the second translator will read out in the second cycle, the same set up on the third translator will read out in the third cycle, the same set up on the fourth translator will read out in the first cycle, the fifth set up in the second, the sixth in the third, and so on. More specifically in Fig. 6 the first, fourth and seventh sets of disks may be as shown. The second, fifth and eighth may have their sets of notches 0-9 occupying the section held by notches &U; &U occupying the section held by notches R-B R-B occupying the section held by notches O9. The third, sixth and ninth sets of disks may have their sets of notches 0 9 occup ing the section held by notches R-B; (Kt-{ l occupying the section held by notches 0-9; R-B occupying the section held by notches &U.

During the first of the three printing cycles therefore the first, fourth and seventh and seventh translators will print characters from the group 0-9, the second, fifth and eighth translator will print characters from the group R-B and the third, sixth and ninth translators will print characters from the group a-U'. During the second cycle, characters will be printed from the second group of each translator and during the third cycle characters will be printed from the remaining group of each translator.

In Fig. 5 the sets of disks 42 have been diagrammatically represented and the relative arrangement of the groups of notches indicated thereon with respect to contacts 72. It has already been pointed out that each row of type carriers is adapted to print'only the characters of a single group and that the platenmust be shifted in a lateral direction to present each printing position to three adjoining rows of type carriers in succession, each of which has type thereon corresponding to a different third of the entire number of possible characters, so that each printing position may receive any character from any one of the three groups. Since the character to be printed in a particular column is contained in a single set/of notched disks of a single translator, a distributing device is provided to operatively associate the translator to each of three rows of type-carriers in succession and in accordance with the group being read out during such cycles. For'instance, where a particular translator is timed to read out from the groups in the order 9-0, BR, U.&, the distributor will successively connect the read-out contact 72 of such translator'successively to type rows adapted to'print 9-0,.

rows of type, so that depending upon which group the desired character is contained in, such character will be printed in either the first, second or third cycle of the printing drum and will be printed from any one of the three associated rows of type.

The distributor Fig. 4 consists of a pair of electrically connected brushes 80 mounted on and insulated from shaft 34 which revolves once in three cycles of the printing drum. One of the brushes 80 cooperates with a continuous conductor ring 81 while the othercooperates successively with three insulated sections 82, 83, 84 during a complete revolution. The distributors are shown in develop ment in Fig. 5 and they are electrically connected as shown, the common ring 81 being connected to contact 72. As the first brush 80 to the left moves downward in Fig. 5 it connects contact 72 of translator 1 to magnet 23a, the second brush connects contact 7 2 of translator 2 to 'magnet 23!), the third brush connects contact 72 of translator 3 to magnet 23c and so on.

Adjoining each strip 84 is adjusted the I group of characters from which printing may take place during the first printing cycle in the related columns a, b, 0, etc. During the second cycle brushes 80 traverse strips 83 and platen 27 has moved one ste to the right so that printing in column a will controlled by magnet 23?), but due tothe electrical connections the data will come from translator 1.

, Similarly translators 2, 3, 4, etc. will control printing in their related columns 6, 0,11, etc.

through the medium of the next higher order strip-84 to magnet 23c and back to line 88.

It is obvious that with this staggered arrangement of the groups of notches on the translators that each column on the record will receive an impression controlled either from the magnet in alinement therewith or from either of the next two magnets in order and that the cycle in which any particular character. is printed depends upon which translator is selected for controlling in a given column.

A specific example will serve to bring out the various timed relationships which afiect rintin Consider the word TABU- ATE as being set up in the translators in the usual way with the letter T in translator 1 of Fig. 5, A in translator 2, B in translator 3, U intranslator 4, and so on. During the first cycle therefore translator 1 will cause printing of letter T in column a, translator-5 will cause printin of letter L in column e and translators 7 an 8 will cause printing of letters T and E so that at the end of the first cycle T---L-TE will have been printed. The platen is shifted and the above described electrical connections are also varied so that each translator will now control printing from its adjacent row of type carriers and -----A-- will be printed. In the third cycle the remaining characters will appear as -ABU----, thus com leting the entire word. It will, of course, eappreciated that the order in which the component characters of a given word are printed depends upon the manner of entry into the translators. Thus if the word TABULATE had been entered with letter T in translator of the type 2 and theremainingletters in order, prCiInting wouldbe efiected in the following or er:

and pointed out the fundamental novel feain the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention therefore to be limited only as in dicated by the scope of the following claims:

1. A printing machine including a printing drum having a plurality of circumferential columns of ty e thereon, electrically controlled means fiir selecting a type in one of said columns for printing and means for associating said selecting means with each of said columns of type in succession.

- 2. A printing machine including a plural ity of columns of type, means for selecting a type in one of said columns for printing and means including electric circuits for automatically associating said selecting means with each of said columns in succession.

3. A printing machine having a. plurality of columns of type, electrically controlled means for selecting a type in one of said columns for printing, means for associating said selecting means with each of said columns in succession and means for compensating the columnar spacin of said columns oftype to permit printing rom each column to be effected in the same position.

4. A printing machine having a plurality of columns of type, electrically controlled means for selecting a type in one of said columns for printing, means for associating said selecting means with each of said columns in succession and means-coordinated with said selecting means for automatically compensating the columnar spacing of said columns of type to cause printing from each column to be effected in the same position.

5. In a printing machine having a plural- 'ity of groups of columns of type, a single selectin means for each group of columns adapte to select a type for printing and means for simultaneously associating said selecting means in each group with corresponding columns of type in the several groups in successlon.

6. A printing machine including a. constantly rotating printing drum having circumferential columns of type thereon, a platen, means for successively causing a type in each column to print for each revolution of said drum and means for relatively moving said drum and platen to permit-printing by a type in each column in the same position on the platen.

7. A printing machine including a plurality of columns of type, each column containing a plurality of type, a platen, automatic means for moving said platen relatively to said columns of type to successively pre- .sent the same point to the printinglme of each of the columns of type, and means for selecting a type of a particular column for printing at the aforementioned point of the platen.

8. A printing machine including a rotary drum having a plurality of columns of type thereon, a platen, means for rotating said drum and means for automatically moving said platen step by step in a direction transverse to the direction of rotation of said drum and during the rotation thereof.

9. A printing machine including a rotary drum, having a plurality of columns of type thereon, means for rotating said drum, a platen, automatic means controlled by said rotating means for shifting said platen transversely to the direction of rotation of said drum for each rotation thereof whereby said columns of type will cooperate with a different columnar position on the platen during successive cycles of operation.

10. In a printing machine, a rotar printing drum having a plurality of over apping groups of circumferential type columns, a

platen cooperating therewith, means for presenting a plurality of particular printing positions for each group of columns to the several columns included in each group in succession and means for concurrently selecting a type in each of said groups of columns for printing in its associated printing position on said platen.

11. printing machine having a plurality of groups of type columns, a sectional storage device adapted to receive an entry in one of its sections, means for testing said sections in succession to determine the presence of an entry therein, means for successively associating each section with a different type column, and means controlled by the section containing an entry for selecting a type in it associated column for printing.

12. A printing machine comprlsin a rotary printin drum having a plura ity of circumferentialeolumns of differently characterized type thereon, a platen and means for relatively moving said platen and type columns to effect printing from the several columns in the same position on the platen, and means for actuating a type in one of sald columns in accordance with the relative positions of the platen and columns to print a particular character in said platen position.

In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my signature.

JOHN ROYDEN PEIRCE. 

